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Give me three reasons why you carry the 45 acp

20K views 204 replies 133 participants last post by  Glolt20-91  
#1 ·
I really enjoy shooting and carrying the 45 acp. I will give my top three reasons, please tell us your top three reasons. 1. It is accurate, I shoot it better than other cartridges 2. It performs its ballistics without alot of fuss, recoil is mild compared to higher pressure big bore rounds. Bullet weight and diameter do not diminish, velocity does. The 45 acp does not require high pressure or high velocity to do its job. 3. It is a cartridge that I can carry concealed yet deal with outdoor 4 legged threats in the woods but also jump in the truck and get supplies in town to deal with potential 2 legged threats without changing my carry gun. I just change ammo from hardcast to jhp. Easy. Note I do carry big bore revolvers when hunting and micro 9's when I need the deep concealment. So I am not anti other cartridges.
 
#48 ·
I depend on a Glock 21 gen 4 for HD. The 21 is one of the softest shooting .45's I have ever shot. It is crazy accurate. I also sometimes shoot it in competition (IDPA, GSSF). For one additional reason, see the chart below. View attachment 1228657
Using a 1990s-era generic gel graphic with unknown bullet brand/models.

Very scientific.
 
#15 ·
"The .45 ACP 230 gr. "hardball" fired from a M-1911 Colt auto, is 100% effective!" - Chuck Taylor based on his personal experience of shooting 5 miscreants.

It is an excellent general-purpose round, good for hunting, target shooting and self-protection.

FMJ is significantly less expensive then hollowpoint ammunition.

It comes in a variety of bullet types and weights which should meet anyone's preference.

A number of manufacturers make various types of pistols for the round.
 
#22 · (Edited)
All kidding aside, what's not to like about the 45? If I could only have 2 calibers, I'd seriously consider 45 and 357 Mag.
Three reasons I like the 45: Reputation as a fight stopper. Ease of finding ammo. Reasonable recoil. It's the caliber my G21 likes the best. History of the caliber and the pistols that fire it.
In the cool of this evening, I'm gonna step out in the backyard and shoot a little bit. Might even enjoy a cool drink of whiskey. Probably take a 45, 357Sig, and 9mm. I would take a 357mag but with the other three calibers that might be too much excitement for me and Bogie. What with it being supper time and all.
 
#31 ·
I like .45 ACP. It knocks over the plates on the plate rack really well. If I was stuck in a commie state that mandated no hollowpoints or low-capacity magazines, I'd probably love it.

For better or worse, it's a low pressure and therefore low velocity round. It doesn't matter if you're punching paper, but it needs every fraction of an inch of barrel length it can get with hollowpoints. If I was carrying it for defense I wouldn't want to go much less than a 5-inch barrel.
 
#37 ·
Been CCing for 46 years. Sure, I've carried other calibers besides 45ACP, but I've never thought I was carrying an inferior caliber when I was carrying a 45. I suppose I learn something new every day.
"Inferior"? No. But quite a cult has grown around the .45 ACP. As long as you try to look at it for what it really is, you can make an informed decision. Within its performance envelope and as long as reliabilty was ensured, I'd pick a good .45 JHP over a good 9mm JHP, but I'd pick a good 9mm JHP over .45 FMJ.
 
#38 · (Edited)
While I seldom carry a .45 auto, I own and shoot that cartridge a lot. I've only shot the .22lr more. .45 ACP has always been a favorite of mine because it's accurate, easy to reload for, and functions great in revolvers with moon clips, something I've always thought made the round more versatile.

View attachment 1228662
Big holed and you gotta love the SW 625s too.

Image
 
#39 ·
1. My 1911's are the pistol with which I obtain my fastest, most accurate hits. This was proven to me in 2021 at Gunsite when I nailed a pepper popper head shot (the only exposed part of the popper) at 38 yards.

2. In the many street shootings I have handled, those hit with 9mm's had some fight left in them. The .45 ACP victims tended to just moan and cry for mommy.

3. Everything I read about the efficacy of the 9mm contains some form of a comparison to the .45 stating how it's almost as good. I'd rather have the round that IS THAT GOOD.